1. "The school hasn't told me that there is a problem."
Answer: Schools do screenings only, and problems can be missed.
2. "My child's doctor hasn't said anything about it."
Answer: Again, those are screenings meant to find major problems, and many conditions can be overlooked.
3. "He/she is an "A" student."
Answer: Congratulations! You have a very smart child; unfortunately, your child could be doing the schoolwork using 1 eye.
4. "He/she is a star athlete."
Answer: Again, that is great! However, without a complete eye exam, your child may be doing the best they can with reduced vision.
5. "My child hasn't complained."
Answer: Children don't usually notice that their vision is reduced until they are about 8-10 years old. If amblyopia (lazy eye) isn't diagnosed early enough (kindergarten), then the child will always have reduced vision in the weaker eye.
Bottom line: 80% of learning comes through the eyes, so every child needs a
COMPLETE EYE EXAM BY AGE 5, and a YEARLY EXAM after that. Otherwise, when we find a lazy eye in an older child, it is too late to treat properly, and the child will have reduced vision in that eye for their lifetime. This may have job performance problems many years into the future.
(pictures courtesy from aoa.org)